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Very Good Article on the truth about "Certified Used Cars"

6/14/2022

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Consumers' Checkbook, a consumer-oriented site, has a very good article on "certified" used cars -- if you are considering one, you will want to read the whole article carefully before you go shopping. Short excerpt below ...

https://www.checkbook.org/puget-sound-area/used-car-certifications-often-not-meaningful/


Used-Car Certifications Often Not Meaningful
by Anthony Giorgianni
Last updated May 2022

Dealers promise rigorously inspected rides and peace-of-mind warranties, but we found some consumers get rebuilt wrecks and even a former crash-test vehicle.

Most used-car shoppers find the process a stressful ordeal filled with possible perils. They worry they’ll end up with an unreliable vehicle, and they don’t feel comfortable dealing with car salespeople: A 2022 Gallup poll found them to be the second-most-hated profession in the U.S.; only lobbyists fared worse. Worst of all, supply-chain problems for new-car factories have created a surge in demand for used ones—during the first quarter of 2022, average prices for secondhand rides were up 35 percent compared to the previous 12 months. Competition is so stiff that many used cars are purchased sight unseen by desperate buyers.

To reassure used-car buyers worried about getting stuck with a lemon, manufacturers in the 1990s began offering “certified” used cars. They’re marketed as the crème de la crème of the secondhand auto world and even come with manufacturer-backed warranties.


But our research uncovered that certified labels don’t guarantee vehicles won’t have serious hidden mechanical or structural problems. We were astonished by some of the flaws we discovered, many that should have been noticed during promised inspections. We also found certified cars that were totaled wrecks that were rebuilt and resold, and even an SUV previously owned by the government and used in crash tests.


Because manufacturers count on their dealers to conduct the promised inspections needed to certify vehicles, certification labels are only as reliable as the diligence of the dealerships and their mechanics in doing the screening tasks and fixing any problems they find. And our research indicates they’re not always diligent. . . .


(Read the whole thing at https://www.checkbook.org/puget-sound-area/used-car-certifications-often-not-meaningful/)

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Secrecy Kills - Sealed Cases Should be Extraordinarily Rare, Never Routine

7/15/2019

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Reuters has a must-read story with implications for everyone in America:

"That evidence was clearly compelling: In a 2004 ruling, Judge Stephens rejected Purdue’s motion that he dismiss the case and sided with the state’s assertion that the material could convince a jury that Purdue’s sales pitch was full of dangerous lies.

But Stephens sealed the evidence on which he relied in that ruling. And when Purdue and the state reached a settlement that year, before the case went to trial, the evidence remained hidden, out of sight to regulators, doctors and patients. Over the next few years, as OxyContin sales and opioid-related deaths climbed, more than a dozen other judges overseeing similar lawsuits against Purdue took the same tack, keeping the company’s records secret."

Read the whole thing here:
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-courts-secrecy-judges/

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Before buying a used car, enter the VIN into the safety/recalls database

4/15/2019

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Where's my VIN?Look on the lower left of your car's windshield for your 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. Your VIN is also located on your car's registration card, and it may be shown on your insurance card.

What this VIN search tool covers
  • Vehicle safety recalls that are incomplete
  • Vehicle safety recalls conducted over the past 15 calendar years
  • Vehicle safety recalls conducted by major light auto automakers, including motorcycle manufacturers.
What this VIN search tool does not cover
  • Completed safety recall information
  • Manufacturer customer service or other nonsafety recall campaign
  • International vehicles
  • Very recently announced safety recalls for which not all VINs have been identified
  • Safety recalls that are more than 15 years old (except where a manufacturer offers more coverage)
  • Safety recalls conducted by small vehicle manufacturers, including some ultra-luxury brands and specialty applications

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US should follow Australia's lead on re-sales of recalled cars

11/5/2018

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"Don't buy a used car until you've read this"
Daily Mail, Australia
Sept. 6, 2018
"Dealers who still sell cars with killer Takata airbags can still face fines up to $220,000 or penalties of $1.1 million."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6137609/Vehicles-killer-airbags-offloaded-unsuspecting-motorists.html


"Why cars with deadly airbags are still being sold"
Yahoo News

Sept. 8, 2018
 
"Not only can dealers face hefty fines over such practice, if someone is injured as a result of a faulty vehicle sold, the dealer would be liable for the accident and could face prosecution."
https://au.news.yahoo.com/cars-deadly-airbags-still-sold-062047068.html

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John Gear Law Office LLC and Salem Consumer Law.  John Gear Law Office is in Suite 208B of the Security Building in downtown Salem at 161 High St. SE, across from the Elsinore Theater, a half-block south of Marion County Courthouse, just south of State Street. There is abundant, free 3-hour on-street parking throughout downtown Salem, and three multi-story parking ramps that offer free customer parking in downtown Salem too.

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